Improvement in rag-engines



W. H. RUSSELL. Rag Engine. No. 216,349. Patented June 10, I879.

-N.PEIERS, FHOm-LITHDGRAPMEIL WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. RUSSELL, OF DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAG-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,349, dated June 10,1879; application filed March 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, WILLIAM H. RUssELL, of Dalton, in the county ofBerkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Rag-Engines or machines for making pulp from rags andcleansing the same for making paper; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a description of my invention, reference being bad to theannexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, with a portion of theadjustable fountaindischarge in section to show the interior.

Similar letters refer to like parts on both figures.

The invention relates to a more complete separation and removal of dirtfrom ground rags in the rag-engine in which rags and like materials areground into pulp and washed in the process of making paper.

In the common rag-engine the usual arran gement and device for catchingsand and other foreign substances is simply a narrow channel coveredwith a grating in the bottom of the engine-box near the grinding-roll.The ground rags have but a comparatively short and violent motion overthe grate of this shallow channel. The dirt does not subside rapidly norwell in it. Therefore it does not fulfill the offiee of a gooddirt-trap. Besides this defect no current passes down through it tocarry away any dirt during the washing operation.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a large and deepinclined dirt-well un- "der the bottom of the box of the rag-engine, andin the second apartment, separated from the grinding-roll, the saiddirt-well forming a good dirt-trap. The ground rags are moved for aconsiderable period of time over the screen-cover of the dirt-well, andthe dirt subsides rapidly below surface agitation.

It also consists in providing an adjustable fountain or suctiondischarge in connection with the dirt well or trap to vary the pressureand discharge of water at the early stage of the operation, the pressurebeing exerted upon the rags forcing a current of water through them andcarrying the dirt from them into the dirt-well, thence out of thefountain dischargepipe. This adjustable fountain-discharge regulates thepressure and the discharge according to the point at which thefountain-pipe is set. It also stops the discharge in this direction, atthe proper period, when the pulp becomes fine.

It also consists in providing a most suitable way of discharging andcleaning out the dirt deposits after a batch of pulp has been finishedand removed.

In the figures, A represents the inclosed grinding -roll, with itsappurtenances. All these parts are made, arranged, and operated in theusual way, and need not be further described.

13 is the box of the rag-engine. It is divided into two apartments, D E,by the partition 0; but they are in free communication. In the secondapartment, E, where the cleansing is chiefly effected, there are twosmall grated recesses for catching larger substances, such as buttonsand the like, left in Tags. These need not be further described.

G is a large dirt-well, placed about the middle and under the bottom ofthe box in apartment E. It is comparatively deep and made with inclinedsides, and its dip is toward one end, where it is connected at thelowest point of the bottom with the outlet-pipe I, and it is alsoconnected with the fountain-pipe. The dirtwell G has a fine perforatedplate cover 01' screen, H.

L is an adjustable pressurefountain of discharge. lt is secured on aplate or platform, M, attached to the box of the rag-engine. On its topis the basin, with an opening and exittube in its bottom, or its bottommay be covered with a screen.

P is a large fixed discharge-pipe having a cock near the lower end,operated by rod R, to open and close the outlet-passage. Within thislarge discharge'pipe is a smaller pipe, S, which may have any suitablehandle. It works in a stuffing-box in the main pipe P, and is thuscapable of being raised and depressed and set at any desired point. Itonly extends down in the main pipe to the inclined pipe I when it is setlowest. When raised highest its top is level with the surface-water inthe box of the rag-engine. This is an ad ordinary way flows in steadilyat the surface.

Bags and such like materials usually contain lime, sand, pieces ofbroken needles, pins, buttons, and various foreign substances. Theadjustable fountain-pipe S is now pushed down to its lowest point, whichis nigh. to the outlet-pipe I. When farthest down the difference of headf or surface of water in the box of the engine and the top of thefountain-pipe S is then about eight inches. The grinding-roll being setin motion, the rags are ground and continually moved forward around thepartition C, which divides the box, and over the perforated plate orscreen H of the dirt-well. The motion of the ground rags is circuitous.They are constantly drawn under the grinding-roll, and the grinding andwashing operations are continued until the rags are reduced to-properpulp. The difference of level between the surface level of the water inthe box B and the top of the adjustable pipe S will be the head ofpressure by which the dirty water is forced through and out of theground rags while they are passing over the screen of the dirtwell andthrough the fountain-pipe. This, therefore, is a fountain-discharge, andthe pressure or suction, so called, is regulated by the pointat whichthe pipe Sis set. While the rags are coarse--such as at the time ofstarting-the full fountain-pressure may be used; then as the rags becomefiner the pipe S is raised and the pressure reduced; then after abouttwo hours grinding the fountainpipe is raised to a level with thesurface of the water in box B, and the discharge in this direction isstopped; otherwise some fine pulp might pass over. During the period ofdischarge through the fountain-pipe S, as described, the ground ragshave their dirt removed and carried from them by the downward current ina far more effectual manner than in the common way.

When the fountain-discharge is arrested, the grinding and washingactions are still continued on the same batch of rags for about four orfive hours longer. During this long operation the ground rags or pulppass over the plate or screen H from seven to eight hundred times, andas the dirt-well G is placed at the bottom, about the middle of theapartment E, far more dirt, especially'metallic particles, does subside,pass down, is trapped, and removed from the pulp than by the commonmodes.

When the pulp is finished in the rag-engine, it is discharged by a gateor valve for further operations in the common way. Common channels forcatching dirt are cleaned by raising their grates, scooping out the sandand other dirt, or through outlets having common plugs.

When a batch of pulp has been discharged from this rag-engine, the dirtwhich has been deposited in the dirt-well G and that which has passeddown into the main pipe 1? of the fountain is all discharged by openingthe cock of the pipe by the rod R. Water is allowedto flow from the boxB through thedirt well or trap until all the dirt is washed outpreparatory to operation upon another batch of rags.

Portions of broken needles and like substances when left in rags andground fine, if not separated from the pulp, are very injurious, becausethey produce specks or stains of rust on sheets of White paper, all ofwhich sheets have to be worked over again, thus involving much waste andexpense.

The dirt-well placed in such a favorable position and connected with alow discharge-exit performs the office of a superior dirt-trap for sandand metallic particles;

The fountain adjust-able discharge carries a requisite current of waterthrough the ground rags, thereby removing more effectually all kinds ofdirt from the ground rags than is done in the usual way. The method ofdischarging the dirt from the well G and cleaning it out is veryconvenient and effective.

Having described my invention,what I claim, and for which I desireLetters Patent, is-

1. The deep inclined dirt-well G, placed in the apartment E under thebottom of the box, and having a low discharge at the bottom into theoutlet-pipe, thus providing an effectual dirt-trap, as set forth.

2. The adjustable fountain-discharge, in connection with the dirt-wellG, or connected with any other part of the rag-engine to carry off thedirt by a downward regulated pressure and v current during a period ofthe washing of the ground rags.

3. The combination of the dirt-well with the main discharge pipe P ofthe fountain, to dis charge the deposits and cleanse the well after thepulp has been discharged, as set forth.

WM.' H. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. NEW, JOHN WRINKLE.

